1. Field of the Invention
The field of the present application pertains to medical devices. More particularly, the field of the invention pertains to an apparatus, system, and method for performing surgery.
2. Description of the Related Art
Robotic surgery has many benefits to improve patient recovery time and allows precise control of medical and surgical application instruments. In robotics, an end effector is the device at the end of a robotic arm, designed to interact with the environment. The exact nature of this device depends on the application of the robot. For example, several examples of end effectors could include a set of forceps, a pair of scissors, a laser, a camera, a cautery tool, a needle, or any other instrument tip that would benefit from being able to be repositioned.
As previously discussed, which originates from serial robotic manipulators, the end effector means the last link (or end) of the robot. At this endpoint the tools are attached. In a wider sense, an end effector can be seen as the part of a robot that interacts with the work environment.
Many articulating devices use bending sections comprising many small moving parts for creating an assembly. Typically, the assemblies are difficult to manufacture in smaller geometries since the individual components become difficult to fabricate.
Another challenge with existing solutions is accommodating the ancillary components for the end effector; which may include pull wire, electrical wires, fluidic lines, and optical fibers. The location of these components within the bending section impacts performance and stability of the bending section. All beams have an imaginary line within the body what will remain the same length when straight or bent, this line is termed the Neutral Axis of the structure. The neutral axis region does not experience any strain or stress. Typically, material that falls on either side of this line will experience strain and will either be extended or compressed. The inside of the bend will compress and the outside of the bend will extend. See FIG. 1 for an illustration of the neutral axis along with its relationship to the inner and outer bend surfaces.
For example, if the ancillary components are placed outside of the neutral axis region, they will slide in and out of the bending section if they are able to float relative to the bending section. Otherwise, the components will buckle or stretch due to the axial forces being imposed. FIG. 2 depicts an illustration of the relationship of components placed away from the components neutral axis.
Existing solutions for bending sections are created for small articulable instruments that is manufactured from thin walled tube. For example, intricate patterns are cut into the tubing in order to create reliefs that yield a preferential bending direction. However, if a large deflection is required; much of the tubing material will need to be removed in order to allow for such bending. Consequently, a thin walled tube with lots of its material eliminated inevitably loses much of the structure and ability to remain mechanically stable.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus for facilitating the bending of an instrument with large degrees of articulation while maintaining a sufficient amount of stiffness in order to provide stability at the end effector, all while ensuring ease of manufacturing.